Hopeful Truths and Despairful Dares
by M Knightium
Summary: Teenagers are always akin to messing around and playing games. When this comes in a no-holds barged Truth or dare game, things escalate much further than Hajime anticipated...or wanted, when the Ultimate Yakuza devises a clever twist to the game in a way that involves extreme things like drinking hot sauce or other nightmarish things... (Non Despair AU)
1. Round 1

Hope's Peak was the school where miracles became a reality. The students inducted into its massive halls were the best of the best, each one honing a talent so keen and personal many worked time and time again to perfect their talent and ensure they were prepared to triumph in the world and reach success.

…tonight was _not_ one of those nights to hone skills.

* * *

Hajime Hinata saw at least ten things wrong with what he was doing, creeping down the hall in an attempt to avoid from being noticed by any of the roaming security guards; clad in his casual wear of a white, tucked in collar shirt along with black slacks and a green tie on his shirt. He had been told to go casual…to be normal.

He could still remember how and why he was doing this; he had been gaming with Chiaki the day before. She had told him to head to her classes' room around 8PM and to ensure he wasn't caught in the process; while it was in a severe disregard for the rules he still went, namely because he valued their friendship more than the rules of Hope's Peak. He was well aware running into a security guard could lead to some complications, and in the case of the one called Juzo, it'd lead to him being beaten down like what happened to a lot of students caught trespassing.

He reached the door, and when his fingers curled around the handle he could hear the sounds of laughter and voices…people were inside. He was, at first, tempted to back off, but Hajime steeled himself; grasping the door and pulling it to the side as slowly as possible.

Inside he could see all the desks pushed away with several students seated on the floor, an empty bottle of cola spinning. Along a few of the desks cups of half empty soda rested along with a few liter bottles; a plate of cupcakes and other sweets present as well. He recognized all of them; they were the various Ultimates of the 77th class. Hajime wasn't exactly...friends with them; really it was a mutual knowing through Chiaki, neutrality at best with many.

Speaking of which, the moment he closed the door the gamer nearly tackled him, encasing him in a hug he was eager to return.

"You managed to get past the security guards?" She asked, her sleepy tone still something he grown used to despite her being overjoyed to see he made it. At his nod she finally let go, moving back over to take her seat with the other students; all of them dressed in their various casual wear and forgoing the typical Hope's Peak uniforms they all wore, sans Ryota who still seemed in his own world animating in the corner.

Though Hajime wasn't sure why Fuyuhiko wore a black dress suit as…casual; could be because of his yakuza lifestyle.

"So, what exactly is all this?" Hajime asked, moving over to plop himself down next to Chiaki and look at the still glass bottle. The yellow suited mechanic spoke up, Hajime remembering him as Kazuichi Souda, though most said his last name due to the simplicity.

"Truth or dare man; dontcha play this with your class too?" Hajime wasn't a stranger to the game no…he just remembered the game often devolved into insanity and chaos quickly, with a splash of embarrassment and a touch of sexuality...but at the very least it beat Seven Minutes in Heaven by a far margin. At his nod, he heard the yakuza speak up, rolling his hand and gesturing to Souda.

"We're going all out with the truths and dares this time…speaking o' which Souda…what'll it be?" Souda went pale in seconds, Hajime noticed this fairly quickly. For such an intimidating appearance, the guy was…quite easy to frighten, even by a baby-faced yakuza.

…maybe it was just the yakuza part that had him on edge; that'd make most logical people afraid.

"I'll pick t-truth."

"Alright, what's the weirdest thing you've taken apart and worked your mechanical bullshit on?" After breathing a sigh of relief, the mechanic spoke up, leaning back and resting against the wall.

"I once took apart a bike and then re-purposed it into a robot...it later tried to kill me so...had to scrap it." Hajime did…wonder how that was possible; his talent must've been something far beyond expectations. His answer sufficient, Souda reached out to spin the bottle himself, Hajime moving away to grab a plastic cup and pour some cola into it, taking a low swig.

"Hey new guy," He heard the Ultimate Yakuza speak, Fuyuhiko. "Might wanna be careful with those bottles. Teruteru drugged one of them and we don't know which." All at once Hajime spat the drink out, fervently wiping his mouth and trying to get the drink out, though the laughter of the others made him cease his efforts, realizing it was a prank.

"I'm just fuckin' with ya man; he spiked the bottle over on Hiyoko's desk with roofies. I made sure to keep track with who he drugged."

"Wait what-?" The small kimono clad girl hit the ground before she could finish, going still in seconds. Hajime just…ignored that; she'd be okay so long as no one made any moves on her unconscious form.

…probably.

"Don't worry Hajime," He glanced over to Chiaki, the gamer enthralled in another game with her handheld. "If something gets weird I'll help you get out of it safe and sound." While that sounded comforting, he was afraid of the things planned if the bottle even landed on him in the first place.

Who knows what they had planned.

The bottle stopped spinning; it had landed on a pale, sickly looking teenager clad in a green coat.

"Nagito," Souda spoke up, Hajime recalling that was the Ultimate Luckster…the one that most seemed intimidated of for some reason. "Truth or dare."

"I'll choose truth for now; I want you to save the good dares for someone more worth it instead of trash like me."

…not even Hajime could tell if he was being nice or if he was happy to avoid a grim fate.

"Gotcha, anyhow how…good is that luck of yours?" A smile crept along his face, and Hajime dismissed his previous thought.

He knew _exactly_ why everyone was afraid of Nagito now; that smile was absolutely unnerving. It was the sort of grin an evil genius would wear before they enacted their plan to destroy someone or something without remorse.

"Do you have a wrench on you?" Souda passed him a steel colored wrench, and Hajime noticed several people growing worried; he even saw the fat cook Teruteru flip a desk and take cover behind it, shivering and shaking. Nagito tossed the wrench out the window, and a series of crashes and bangs resonated before the window broke next to his head; the wrench landing on the ground with a few scratches from hitting various things.

…the wrench had somehow gone from the fourth story room, to the ground, and somehow found its way back up to their classroom; that really _was_ luck.

"Now, it's my turn to spin right?" The bottle spun slowly, and Hajime felt a great weight come down on his shoulders.

The bottle had landed on him.

"Ah, Hajime Hinata…I suppose I don't need to even ask you with your perception; what will you choose…what will make your hope shine through?"

He had a mental debate; if he opted for truth he'd end up looking weak in front of Chiaki's classmates and…well he didn't want that. But if he went for the dare…he didn't know what could happen.

"Dare." Everyone's faces went sullen and afraid; even Peko showed some fear and the stoic, snow haired swordswoman was typically the most well reserved person Hajime had ever met. Nagito was silent for a moment, but soon that grin returned, wider than ever.

There were things Hajime hadn't felt in his life…fear like this was one of them.

"Good, I think I know just how to make your inner talent come about…"

* * *

 _What the hell was I thinking? This is so stupid. You're so stupid. You're so screwed…_

These were the thoughts that resonated in Hajime's mind as he stood in the parking lot, atop a skateboard. Affixed to the back of said board were a series of modified fireworks, meant to give the board enough propulsion to go but…no telling when they could explode and with how much force either. All of Chiaki's class was standing in the lot with him though at a safe distance…just in case the board ended up violently exploding like Hajime anticipated.

"You just gotta go down the road and not fall off the board, Hajime." Nagito spoke, that grin never fading. "Also, those fireworks may explode…I'm not sure when however. Once you get past the stop sign you'll be able to leap off the board before it detonates."

"Hey uh…Hajime, if ya wanna back out we'll understand." Souda spoke up, already taking cover behind a desk he dragged out. "I mean Fuyuhiko's penalties aren't that bad compared to this—"

"Actually," The yakuza spoke up, adjusting his suit. "One's pretty bad; spend fifteen minutes locked in a room with Teruteru and he can do what he wants in those fifteen minutes."

"And that's worse than this because?" Hajime asked, seriously considering ditching the board. He didn't get his answer; the fireworks all went off and he launched forward; the teen doing all he could to stay on the board with the wind in his face. He threw his weight left and kept going, the board leaving lines in the pavement from the speed he was going at.

So far so good; the rockets were holding up and he wasn't dead yet…all he had to do was make it to the end of the road and then he'd win the dare.

What'd he win? The approval and appreciation of his friend's classmates…considered he wanted to be close to Chiaki this was the literal only way he could see her more often.

 _ **POP!**_

One of the rockets exploded, Hajime feeling the board lurch left. The screeching noise told him a tire had been blown off…that meant he had to either ditch, or go through with the plan. Another rocket, and another…soon Hajime decided it just wasn't worth it for the risk and dove off; the board going another few feet before the remaining rockets exploded, taking the board with it.

Hajime himself would have been okay, had he not dove of right into the stop sign Nagito mentioned…

* * *

"Jeez that looks bad…" Souda muttered, Hajime retaking his seat after the Ultimate Nurse, Mikan, taped an ice pack to his head following a stealthy incursion to the Nurse's Office. The reason being, his left eye was painfully blackened and swollen from him impacting a stop sign while going at least forty miles per hour.

If anything, he was lucky to be conscious and lacking a concussion.

"I'll be fine…it just hurts whenever I try to blink."

"I see that, still, hard to believe you took one of Nagito's dares like that so easily." The larger, muscled teen spoke, Nekomaru Nidai spoke up, shaking his head slowly. "Guess that means you got more balls than you let on."

...Hajime wasn't sure if he was complimenting him or mocking him; considering the wording it was quite possibly both.

"Alright guys, a few more and then we gotta bail; the janitor may come through soon and I don' wanna leave any evidence that we were here…the teacher _may_ be a lil' pissed when it comes to lettin' us party in the middle of the night...and since she has our sleeping addresses, I'd personally rather not wake up with a sword at my neck. Hajime, you're good with still playin' right?" His head ached and he had some scraps but backing down now wasn't the wisest choice. He nodded slowly, and Fuyuhiko motioned to the bottle. "Go 'head and spin then; if it lands on you pass the dare, don't want you to go and get yourself killed, alright?" At least that meant he cared; he was already making friends with the Ultimates, or perhaps he earned their respect. The bottle whirled around and spun, soon coming to a stop on…from what he could assume some sort of dark, evil looking guy with four hamsters perched along his arms. His eyes opened when the bottle came still, his gaunt voice resonating moments later from the shadowy corner he rested in.

"I shall pursue the truth, give me something entertaining, fool." Hajime assuming this was Gundham; someone Chiaki said was…off.

He could see why.

He still needed to think of something useful though, but he'd rather not upset the man…his gamer friend also mentioned he tended to say words literally no one understood.

"…how do you view reptiles?" Gundham was in front of him in seconds, glaring him down.

"The vile scaled beasts of Hell itself!? They are God killers! They prey upon the souls of the devas and make them their twisted slaves! Never speak their name around me, lest I unleash their power on you!" The Breeder did take a few steps back, recomposing himself. "However, there are many that are exceptions to this unfortunate chain, like the ancient ones who have shells, and the four legged runners who feed upon insects. They earn my respect for their wit and their bravery even when facing off against hellhounds and sirens of the sky." Hajime gradually deduced he was speaking about turtles and lizards; he must've had a problem with snakes then…make sense since all snakes tended to prey on rodents at some point in their lives. But, thankfully that was enough, one of Gundham's hamsters leaping off to spin the bottle; scurrying back on his shoulder shortly afterwards.

The bottle came to a stop on Souda.

Hajime could literally see a brief flash of anger in Souda's face…he must've had a severe problem with Gundham.

"Mechanical demon, do you seek the truth, or the dare?"

"I'll take dare, give me your best shot! I gotta prove to Sonia I'm stronger than I look!" Gundham smirked shortly after, and Hajime felt that gave away that whatever he had planned, it would not bode well for him.

"Very well; face the swordswoman in a duel. You may use only what you have on you, and the fight will go until blood is drawn and one cannot continue. Prove your might and show me that you can face off against a creature such as her!" Souda slowly looked down at his wrench. Even with his wit he could tell this was bullshit.

"…can I take a penalty—?" Peko's foot crashed into the mechanic's face, sending him into a wall. Hajime winced at the dent left; the mechanic twitching a bit before trying his best to stand up.

"Oookash…tha…that hurt…betcha…can't do it again." His nose was bleeding profusely, yet he still held his wrench, doing his best to act as if he were tougher than he let on when really he was about to collapse any second now. Hajime would have told him to stay down but…Peko crossed the distance and smashed her shinai into his head. The resulting _**bang**_ made everyone in the room cringe. Nekomaru was the first to look at the crumpled-up heap that was Souda, rubbing his chin.

"…Peko…I think he's dead."

"Negative; I can still him breathing; at best, he just has a minor concussion."

Hajime severely doubted _that_ was minor; he was on the ground, still as a damn tree, leg twitching every so often. Fuyuhiko merely grimaced, motioning to Mikan and ignoring the timid nurse nearly freaking out when attention was brought to her.

"You ah…you should probably get him something…I dunno…maybe an ice pack or seventy."

* * *

Cleaning up didn't take very long; some desks were pushed back and some things were wiped down. Hajime had to take an opposite route to get back to his dorm, though he did wince every so often from the black eye and the other bruises to his person from the various other dares.

…he'd need a good excuse to explain why he came to class with a black eye. Maybe he could just say he got into a fight…that'd work.

But, that was the least of his concerns. He was told by Chiaki more information regarding the…game; the truth or dare one.

It hadn't actually ended, in fact round one just concluded…tomorrow, at some time, began round two, and considering he nearly died from one dare and Souda got a concussion, the reserve course student grew gradually more afraid of the game.

Just what sort of twisted despair could be planned next?

* * *

(As I said, here it is. Like the JustGirlyThings story this can be considered a non-despair AU, since a prelude to the events of the harder Despair Arc things will still haunt me in mid writing. So thus, this is an AU actually prior to the 78th class' arrival. As you can guess, Hajime's the close focus for some of the chapters but the next chapter may focus on Fuyuhiko, or someone else; it's a way to show everyone's thoughts on things and them doing their dares or performing their truths. Give or take Hajime will be the protagonist for a while until we move to someone else. This one was actually light but the next few will actually be a bit harsher and some even deadly; someone's gonna get hurt one way or another and someone humiliated. So, enjoy and have some fun reading how horrible things will get for people.

…or for how terrible things will get for Souda. Let's face it, it's about as inevitable as the sunset.)


	2. Round 2

Hajime got a few wonders and maybe one or two questions as to why his eye was messed up. Blowing them off was simple; people stopped worrying very fast.

He sat in the cafeteria, clad in his Reserve Course Uniform, eating his food and doing his best to drift his mind to other things.

He wasn't prepared to feel the ground leave him, the student flailing a bit before noticing Nekomaru had picked him up by the back of his coat.

"Uh…hi?" He muttered, still being carried by the large team coach. Hajime rapidly found himself away from the cafeteria and found himself back in the classroom for the 77th class; being set down once they were inside the room. The entirety of the class of there, even an odd fat animator in the very back, too busy working to look up and acknowledge Hajime.

"Okay what was that about?"

"We're playing again," Fuyuhiko said, seated at his desk, clad in his own uniform. "And considering how well you handled yourself last night I wanted to see how you can handle this game." Hajime adjusted his coat, confused a tad from that. They wanted him to play with them? He never expected to befriend the Ultimates over a game…over a bottle spinning over the ground.

"What about me returning to class? Lunchs' gotta end soon."

"We planned ahead," Nagito said, resting in his own seat before motioning out the window. "Wait for it…"

…an explosion resonated seconds later, one of the windows blown outwards as fire roared. Hajime was in a panic for a brief second, did he just blow a fucking bomb up!?

"Relax, wasn't a large bomb; with some help from Souda we rigged up a minor bomb; it just made enough fire to call for an evacuation in the Reserve Course's building while they fan the flames and call the fire department. Classes'll be canceled for the rest of the day." Surprisingly no one seemed hurt; Hajime approached the window to see faculty and staff leading students out in an orderly fashion and getting them to their dorms to rest for the time while they investigated the cause of the fire, give or take.

…speaking of which, where was Souda anyhow?

The mechanic in question walked in with an ice pack taped to his head, munching on an apple.

"…don't you have a concussion?" The pink haired teen was clad in a blue jumpsuit this time, with a black trucker hat. A shrug left him, still munching on his food.

"I talked to the Ultimate Pharmacist; she gave me some pills to beat the severe blunt trauma Peko gave me." He was surprisingly lax over nearly dying last night.

"Why is there a reserve course trash student here?" A bratty voice piped up, Hajime's eyes falling on the girl in question. She was blond haired, clad in a Kimono…Hajime recognized her from yesterday…Hiyoko was her name. Hajime was about to give her an honest answer but someone else spoke up; a red-haired girl with freckles, busy tuning up a camera to ensure it worked.

"Hiyoko, he's a friend. Had that pig Teruteru never drugged you I'd have introduced you to him. Remember that psycho, Nagito?"

"Yeah…why?" The photographer gestured towards Hajime.

"He actually did one of his dares and walked away."

"No way! Last one to do that was Nekomaru and…the truck sorta won."

 _Just what the hell did Nagito have in mind for everyone?_

Hajime shook off his worry, he was still wondering why he got picked up and carried. Upon asking, the team manager responded nonchalantly, picking his ear while leaning against the wall.

"It was either me or Mikan; she wanted to kidnap you." Hajime paled at that, glancing to Fuyuhiko with the silent hope he was kidding.

"He's sorta right…we checked her bag and found ropes, chloroform, and even a syringe or three…might as well have been called rape." Hajime internally screamed at that.

"Anyhow, we're all here; Souda do you got the bottle?" The mechanic tossed it down, and thus the game commenced again.

…Hajime silently regretted not running when the explosion happened.

* * *

Hajime found himself seated next to Chiaki and Souda once more, munching on a plate of food prepared by Teruteru for another game. At least today the cook was behaving but Hajime had the feeling things would escalate if given the chance. Fuyuhiko took his own spot next to Peko, and he gestured to Souda.

"It was your turn last, I remember Peko kicking your ass." The mechanic rolled his eyes, that'll be the talk of the class for some while. Hajime kept himself quiet, aware that after a while he felt Chiaki's weight on his shoulder, the gamer stifling a yawn and resting against him.

It did make him much more calm, but there was always the niggling feeling of the bottle landing on him, and then all hell breaking loose. The bottle spun, and soon it came up on Peko, the swordswoman busy reading something when she noticed the bottle was on her.

"Dare, I'm not in the mood to share anything." The grin Souda wore told Hajime clearly the mechanic intended to enact some revenge from last time.

"Go beat up Gundham. Use your sword 'n shit." The breeder looked up from his own things; the wooden blade thrusting right for him moments later.

When the wooden blade struck the wood of the wall, it took Hajime a mere second to realize Gundham deflected the attack with his hand.

"Foolish mechanic; you send another in your stead to fight me…for shame." Another swing, and Gundham's head lashed back, dodging the strike before his bandaged arm shot out, making contact with her stomach and sending her back a few feet. The fight followed this pattern for quite some time; each strike Peko made was deflected by Gundham and rewarded with a sharp strike of his own. Soon Fuyuhiko cleared his throat, Peko stopping in mid swing, head turned to listen to him.

"Enough, this got boring real fast."

"Understood, young mas-"

"Peko, we've had this discussion before."

"Yes, Fuyuhiko." And with that she was back in her seat and Gundham shaking his hand off; Hajime didn't need to be smart to see Souda had earned the ire of both the breeder and the swordswoman.

If either of them landed on him, he'd get far worse than he did last night. Peko tapped the bottle with her sword, the force being enough to send the bottle into a light spin before it came to a stop on Akane, the gymnast looking up from her plate of food.

"Huh? I'll pick dare; got nothin' to share right now."

 _At least she was honest…_

Hajime thought to himself, seeing Peko's crimson irises affix themselves on Souda…the mechanic gulped and Hajime got the feeling that he was in for more pain than before.

"Akane, I would like for you to break Kazuichi's spine. Clearly he doesn't need it if he's too cowardly to handle his own revenge." Souda paled, Hajime twitched in fright, and Akane seemed confused for a moment.

…moments later she smiled, knuckles cracking.

"W-Whoa! Hey! Peko, can't we talk about this?" Souda inched his way to the door, already trying to get a way out set. "Can't she like…take my hat or something—?"

"But we _are_ talking, Kazuichi; we're talking while you should be running from Akane." The gymnast exploded after him, and Souda dove out the door, taking off as fast as he could. Hajime heard a rapid series of footfalls, some shouting from both sides, followed by a grabbing noise and—

 _ **SNAP**_

" _ **AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!"**_

And _that_ was the sound of Akane getting Souda; the gymnast returning and dragging him behind her, setting him down by the door. Teruteru spoke up, poking the downed mechanic.

"Hey Souda…ya okay?"

"…everything hurts." He breathed, twitching a bit. Akane retook her seat and shrugged, eating her food once again.

"…what? I didn't break his spine…just twisted him a bit too far." Mikan was the first one over to Souda; getting some various things from her bag and some heating pads to help treat the…well injury he sustained. Hajime remained affixed on the whole sight of the injured mechanic.

He was in over his head with this one.

His ears picked up the bottle spinning, and soon it landed on Mikan, even as she worked on Souda and got him back up to speed in no time. Fuyuhiko cleared his throat, a means to tell her the bottle landed on her.

"I-I'll pick truth, i-if that's okay; I-I'll pick d-dare if you all want."

"Relax, you opted for the truth…so just chill, okay?" The yakuza said, rolling his hand and Hajime watching her seat herself, Souda shakily sitting down next to Hajime, still with a pained look on his face.

The reserve course student just…ignored the flinch when Akane looked in Souda's direction.

"Alright, Mikan, how would you treat a bullet wound? Like…without going to a hospital?" Everyone gave him a look. "…for science, o-okay?" Hajime just deduced he wanted to know how to treat a bullet wound due to his Yakuza lifestyle. At first she wore a fearful gaze but it rapidly shifted to a more focused one.

"W-Well, first you'd need to cauterize the wound using something antiseptic, like an alcoholic drink or so. T-Then, you have to make sure to keep yourself calm to prevent from going into shock, and also you need to find either pliers or a kitchen knife. While it'd cause an unholy amount of pain you need to remove the bullet to prevent infection, and once it's removed you need to clean the wound once again before applying a bandage. To prevent suspicion, you should come up with a plausible cover story to ensure no one asks any questions and in a few months the torn muscles and damages would recover." The room was silent for a good while following Mikan's analogy and her wide knowledge on how to treat a bullet wound.

Fuyuhiko soon sat back, arms crossing and a nod following.

"Mikan I _really_ need to bring you on a job. Might actually save some of our boys out there." For the first time in a long while a smile framed her face; Hajime felt it was much better than her usual frown or, at times, crying face. The bottle was spun again, Teruteru coming up.

"Well now, lil' ol Mikan's picked me; whatcha got for me? A raunchy truth, a saucy dare, a-"

"Just wait for her to ask, damn freak!" Hiyoko snapped, her sandal impacting his head seconds later from being flung.

Hajime wasn't really anticipating him to moan in delight from the hit.

"O-Okay, truth or-"

"I pick dare; I want things to get," He inhaled for dramatic event. "Intimate…"

"Um…okay…I d-dare you to…to…" She had nothing, Hajime had to give her a hand. He crept over, making sure Chiaki was secure beforehand. He knelt down to the side of the nurse and whispered; he had to give her a hand before the others caught on to her feebleness.

"I dare you t-to find someone in the room to punch you in the face." He didn't even get a chance to get up; Hiyoko's fist connected with his face seconds later.

"Damn, Mikan's got some fire in 'ere." The yakuza mused, Hajime breathing a sigh of relief when he realized they didn't seem him lend her a hand, with the exception of more keen eyed people like Peko, Chiaki, and even Nekomaru. Teruteru didn't even get a chance to spin next; Fuyuhiko stood up and picked the bottle up along with him.

"Y'know, I've been thinkin'…and I think I know a better way to really make this game exciting." Hajime didn't like the sound of that, and Souda immediately cringed when that came up. "For now, let's call the game here; give me until after school to put things together. You," His finger was pointed at Hajime. "You can stay until someone catches ya; you're alright." At least that was a relief…but it also meant odds are Fuyuhiko would target him next. The circle was dismissed and Hajime relaxed, watching everyone return to their own things…though he couldn't help but to notice Souda seething silently.

Why?

He could see some sort of blonde haired girl conversing with Gundham; seeming to be enthralled by his words despite not knowing anything about them. It was clear Souda just why now Souda hated Gundham.

Anyone would hate someone who went after a girl they liked.

"Hey, Souda." Hajime said, catching the mechanic's attention. "Calm down man…who knows, tomorrow you'll get a chance to wow her."

"You really think so?" His soured mood faded in seconds. "I can get with Miss Sonia? For reals?" Sonia; Hajime knew the Ultimate Princess somewhat, though he never shared a direct conversation with her. Not because he didn't want to, but namely because when she told someone to do something, an overpowering sense of…duty came over them.

When she jokingly said for Hajime to get some drinks, he didn't anticipate to be walking back with drinks the last time they spoke.

"Yeah, you just gotta go for it and believe; if you get something easy tomorrow she'll probably wanna go out for drinks afterwards." Hajime knew he got Souda back to his normal, jubilee spirits, the student relaxing against the wall with Chiaki seated next to him, busy gaming and doing her own form of relaxation.

"It seems hope has brought us together even more." Nagito spoke up, that same, unusually calm look on his face. "Our friend Fuyuhiko is bringing something even more fun for us to play…what do you suppose it is, Hajime." The way he asked…it sounded like he somehow already knew what the yakuza had in mind for them all.

Considering how…unsettlingly calm he was, Hajime didn't rule that idea out.

"Let's see what truly rises from this game; unfading hope, or encompassing despair." He leaned back in his chair with a smile.

Hajime's hopeful mood faded…now it was replaced by a sense of worry. If Nagito was that calm about it, then whatever was coming it'd be horrific.

Once again, maybe he should've just gone out with the other reserve course students…

* * *

(Sorry for this chapter being shorter than others; the new idea I'm working on relies less on truth and more on dares, the title of this story might be adjusted in accordance with this new story concept. While truth or dare is a classic for things like DR, I wanna see just how…insane I can make this tale while at the same time still reflecting it as a despair AU. So the story name and description will be changed and adjusted with the release of this chapter, and chapter 3 I can promise to be something…devious. Expect someone to explode.

…and not in Teruteru's way.)


	3. Round 3

What rested before him still weighed heavy on Hajime's head. He walked down the hall, classes still canceled for the reserve course students and classes finally concluding for those in the normal courses. He remembered what Fuyuhiko told him and thus he was en route to the classroom where more insanity would take place. Due to it being the end of the day, he was dressed in the same casual clothes from last time, with the exception of his shirt being blood free and clean after what happened the day before. Reaching the door, Hajime reached his hand out to push the door to the side, stepping inside after giving a cautionary glance around.

All of the class was still present; dressed in their own casual clothing, or in the case of Nekomaru the same thing, seated actually in their desks. For a moment, Hajime thought he was early; he hoped not as he wasn't sure the teacher for their class was accepting of Reserve Course Students.

Then again, Miss Yukizome seemed very…free about everything.

"Hajime, right on time." Fuyuhiko said, actually seated at said teacher's desk, clad in his personal suit. On the desk rested a hat filled to the brim with small folded pieces of paper and a hand-made roulette wheel…all with their names on it. "Go have a seat somewhere, game's about to start."

"And we're still waiting for him to explain the rules!" Hiyoko whined, face down on her desk in boredom. "He refused to start until you showed up; why are you so important anyways?"

"I guess I'm just that guy." He shrugged, seating himself in one of the empty desks in the back. With that taken care of the Yakuza stood, moving to the door to ensure it was closed.

"Now we all played Spin the Bottle truth or dare…but I got a better idea." He began, stepping in front of the desk to tap the hat filled with the papers. " _This_ is my way. I spent all day working these with the help of our 'favorite' Luckster," At his mention Nagito merely waved, and yet somehow that _still_ managed to inspire fear from the class.

"So, wait…those papers are all…dares?" Mahiru asked, unsettled by the notion of Nagito already picking their fates. Fuyuhiko's head shake denied this.

"No, at least _half_ are dares. Remember when I asked you to write down a dare or a truth and give 'em to me? This is where they are…I just had to fill in a lotta dares with Nagito's help as for reason, much of the shit was jus' truth." He seemed visibly ticked off on that. "The game's simple; I spin the wheel, whoever's name it lands on comes up to get a paper, and they either answer the question provided or do the dare shown." The yakuza picked up a strange yellow card from the desk as well. "Do two truths or one dare you get an Out Card; you can use 'em to weasel out a dare or a truth if you know you can't do it." Ibuki was first to raise her hand.

"Ooo! What happens if you get _all_ the Outty Cardies!?"

"…nothin'…you can kinda sit the game out and relax. However, if you opt out a dare _without_ an Out Card, same for truth, you get Punished." Hajime gulped from his seat, already worried what it'd be. "Not gonna spoil it, but here's a sneak peak; it involves a bathtub filed with poison ivy…and that's just the tip of the iceberg." Some of the class seemed eager to play, like Nekomaru and Akane…others like Mikan and Souda were on the fence about the game.

Hajime…he was debating crawling out that window.

Before he could, the wheel was spun and Nagito's name came up. The luckster adjusted his coat and walking up, reaching the hat and grabbing the first paper presented.

The grin he formed told everyone it was actually a dare.

All at once, many took cover, and in the case of Souda he was trying to open the window and climb out, sweating profusely and screaming.

"Relax, it's okay." Nagito said, holding the paper up. "It's just a simple dare." He approached Mahiru without any worry and after showing his paper, the photographer grumbled and handed him her camera; the pale teen setting it elsewhere. Hajime's best guess; he was given a dare to take Mahiru's camera…just didn't seem like he was supposed to do it without force. None the less, Nagito sat back down and Fuyuhiko spun the wheel again, to see if someone else came up.

Hiyoko's name came up. The dancer flinched a bit when she was called, standing and shuffling over, having to reach up to grab a slip of paper from the hat.

She was silent for a bit, and Hajime watched a blush form on her face. If it was a dare, it was either embarrassing, or harsh.

"Hiyoko…you got twelve seconds to answer it." Fuyuhiko warned. The blush continued to mount, anger flaring on her face for a moment.

"S-Shut up! It's…personal, alright?"

"Uh huh, bathing in poison ivy'll be more personal." She finally steeled herself, and her next words were…something Hajime didn't think he'd hear from her.

"T-The panties I wear are blue, okay? There! I said it, happy now?!"

"Mmm, I I dun know about you guys but I sure am~" Teruteru leaned back in his seat, a smirk on his face. Hajime figured out he was the one who wrote that truth out…considering how he did things it wasn't doubted. None the less, the wheel was spun again, the cook himself being called. He rushed up quickly, grabbing from the hat with eagerness Hajime didn't really anticipate.

"Now, let's see what kinda truth I gotta answer-" He went silent when he read the paper. A low sigh left him.

"Have I ever made a bad meal…a few times; hurt me deep when I saw people wretch at 'em when I was real young. Momma never told me to give up though, even when I was at ma' lowest. I kept goin', and soon I got better. 'Den Hope's Peak called me up and here, I can keep getting better n' better at cooking 'til I can make world class meals for the whole world." Silence filled the room, before slowly Fuyuhiko's hands met a few times, the Yakuza clapping at the cook's solemn words.

"Jus' when I thought you were nothing but a creepy little pervert; there really is something there worth giving a shit about." He chuckled, spinning the wheel again. "Now get back to your seat before I have Peko break your knees." He was gone in a flash, and the wheel came to a stop on Nekomaru, the big man standing and stretching.

"Bout damn time; I was getting bored over there!" He damn near knocked the hat off the desk when he grabbed his paper, having to flip the paper open with some effort due to his larger fingers.

"Hell yeah! I got a dare!" When Nekomaru's eyes fell on Hajime, he felt a lot less comfortable. "You! New guy, grab Kazuichi and Gundham, NOW!" Hajime swore for a fucking second he saw actual lightning crackle around Nekomaru's eyes.

All the more reason to comply.

The Reserve course student stood up soundlessly and tapped both the frightened mechanic and the passive breeder; the four of them walking down the halls to an unknown destination.

"Hey…Souda?" Hajime asked, the pink haired mechanic perking up when he was addressed. "What're the odds of us not getting hurt in this one?"

"…same odds of Nagito not saying the word hope."

…they were so fucked.

* * *

Hajime did wonder why they were at the zoo; sure he'd been there once or twice with his family prior to his enrollment to Hope's Peak but now…it seemed odd to return. The place was only slightly active; with schools being active many of the zoo's typical occupants were gone and the place was barren in many places.

All four of them were at the Lion Exhibit, one of the furred beasts roaming around and shaking its brown mane out. No one was around and Nekomaru seemed to be glaring the feline down with unseen disdain.

Hajime was first to speak up.

"Nekomaru…what's the goal here?" The large teen didn't speak; he merely handed Hajime the slip of paper explaining everything.

 **Dare:**

 **Fight a Lion while someone records as proof. Show that your hope is stronger than the king of the jungle's hope.**

"God…damn…it Nagito." Of course, he wrote the damn dare! All his dares were fucking insane! The team manager on the other hand seemed unaware of this, that or uncaring.

"Kazuichi," He snapped, the mechanic twitching and focusing. "Use your skills to get the door open; I'm going in."

"A-alright but…" Souda gestured towards Gundham. "Why's _this_ guy here?"

"Do not think I enjoy this either, mechanical demon; trifling with the titan here has already proven to be a faulty tactic lest I'm properly prepared with my magic." Hajime just assumed Gundham meant going against Nekomaru was a dumb idea unless someone was properly planned…made sense, the guy looked capable of bench pressing a car! Nekomaru seemed to ignore Gundham's statement, uncrossing his arms and glancing to Souda.

"We need him so he can make sure it's a good fight. I wanna get all I can from this!" So…Nekomaru just wanted Gundham to ensure the lion put up a good fight.

Maybe calling Mikan was a better idea.

The mechanic did get the locking mechanism off the door and Nekomaru kicked it in, diving in and landing on the soft grass of the Lion enclosure. Hajime panicked slightly when he saw the giant cats stare down the team manager, though that same lightning formed around his eyes.

"C'mon you pussies! I wanna see which of you's easier to throw in the water." One lunged and when the team manager got his arms around the lion's waist he slammed it into the water behind him, shaking himself off. "Who the hell's next-!" He was silent when one did manage to hit him; leaving deep lines along his chest.

However, this just served to excite him.

"So, you're the lil' shit who decided to fuck my shirt up!" Said lion found itself in a savage headlock, Nekomaru's fist smashing into its face every so often to slow its struggles.

Meanwhile, Hajime held a camera, recording the entire spectacle while counting just how many laws they were violating with this. Gundham soon clasped his hands together, upset beyond reckon.

"Enough! The titan's fight with the golden hellcats has gone on far too long! I need to intervene before either side sustains further injury!" Gundham's jump into the exhibit also caused Souda to fall in as well; the breeder landing in the dirt to deliver a sharp palm strike to a lion's head before it could strike Nekomaru, trying to dissolve the fight and make the large feral cats flee before things escalated…

…the mechanic fell in the water, right next to the lion Nekomaru had tossed in.

"Holy fuckin' shit!" Souda shouted, the lion roaring and swiping at him; claws leaving deep lines on his arms. When it swung again his next idea was to bash the feline over the head with the wrench, causing the beast to sink in the water; another lion was on Souda moments later, the mechanic flailing when the teeth dug into his arm.

Surprisingly Hajime managed to catch that unexpected action, though he could hear someone approaching.

"Guys, we need to bail! There's people coming and I doubt us going to Hope's Peak'll save us from a damn arrest."

"Hajime's right; Gundham, grab Souda and let's get the fuck outta here." The team manager gave a lion one more sharp bop to the head before he jumped out, walking through the doorframe with a few cuts along his shoulders and a couple of lacerations along his arms.

He didn't even seem to mind them.

Gundham came up shortly, sporting a cut under his eye from a lion's claws missing by a few inches, the mechanic following up shortly afterwards. Souda…he had a couple of claw marks on his back through his jumpsuit…and oddly, his teeth were covered in blood.

"When one of those fuckers got me in a grab I kinda started biting him back." He spat out a crimson colored loogie. "I was not expecting it to work." Hajime wanted to rage at them for their sheer stupidity but they all ran as fast as they could before the zookeepers showed up.

He was hoping and praying that there was no means to track them from this…cause Hajime was sure one of those lions wouldn't ever eat correctly with the teeth Nekomaru punched out…

…or the one who suffered brain trauma from Souda's wrench.

* * *

"Holy shit, you fucks did it." Fuyuhiko muttered, the entire footage of the Lion Dare broadcasted on the chalkboard via projector. Nekomaru merely shrugged at the part of him punching a lion square in the face, seeming to not be bothered by Akane's hounding over the subject…and her voicing her disapproval for her not being invited to beat some lions up.

"My word! And to think, you all bravely fought the felines!" Sonia mused, seemingly enthralled despite the notion of her classmates beating up some lions. "You all must've been so heroic out there."

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it, Miss Sonia!" Souda grinned, despite Mikan rapidly working to treat the injuries to his back while he sat on his desk, the majority of his jumpsuit shed to reveal his torso; the nurse having gotten Nekomaru and Gundham's own injuries prior to dealing with the mechanic. Gundham surprisingly didn't speak up on Souda's talk with Sonia…it seemed that he really didn't care for the affair itself.

Hajime was just glad he emerged from this…at least somewhat okay; he had a feeling this entire event would bite them in the ass soon but…for the time he actually enjoyed watching everyone converse and view the footage of the lion fighting. The atmosphere of warmth and friendliness was something the Reserve course lacked greatly…there it just felt like another day doing the same thing from before. Here, however, he felt like there were no true worries or true issues…everyone could just relax.

"Your hopes truly shined out there." Nagito speaking up behind Hajime nearly made him want to shit himself.

Holy fuck when did he even get there?

"I knew you all could overcome my dare and come out on top…shame you didn't participate in the fun though, Hajime."

"Yeah, real shame I didn't go down and get mauled by a Lion. What kind of dare was that anyhow?" Hajime felt he was friends with everyone in the room…except Nagito; he could never read the guy and considering his deposition that was a very problematic situation.

"Ah, but it's always amazing to watch everyone's hope shine to the fullest," Nagito gestured to the warm, happy class; calm despite the danger they were in earlier. "Every time they fall they grow closer together when they get back up; the Ultimates never fail to amaze trash like me."

"But…aren't you an Ultimate as well?" Nagito merely shrugged in response to that question.

"Ultimate Luck isn't a true title…all my luck brings is unstoppable agony and unstoppable joy to those around me, like my parents and my dog…but I doubt the same will ever happen to my friends here…I care about them too much to let that happen." When Nagito's gaze fell on him, Hajime didn't see the typical insane look the pale teen was iconic for.

This time he saw genuine compassion; like a friend to another friend.

"And I suppose due to your actions and your own hope, you're my friend as well, Hajime. Continue to let your hope shine…there's something special about you; above the Reserve Course students you're housed with…something not even my luck can bring to light."

…Hajime had never been more afraid yet relieved before in his life to hear that.

* * *

"Alright, we're calling it here, everyone get the hell out and go do other shit until we come back tomorrow to play again; game's not over yet and it won't end until _someone_ gets Punished." Fuyuhiko said, Peko wordlessly picking the wheel up along other things and moving on. Hajime was about to leave himself, but not before feeling a hand clamp down on his shoulder, having to look down at the baby-faced Yakuza.

"You handled yourself well out there, so I'm tellin' you this once." He began, a sigh leaving him. "Tomorrow's Thursday, 'nd as you know the game doesn't stop so be here after school; Friday the class and I are going on a weekend retreat to a resort a good few miles away from Hope's Peak."

"You want me to come?" Hajime asked, confused about the sudden information being dropped on him.

"I'm gonna use my father's connections to pull some strings and get your name added to the roster of kids to go; bring some casual wear and some sleeping clothes…and your gut; game's continuing out there with a whole new playing field." And there was the catch…the game would continue even out there.

"I'll be set then."

"Good," Fuyuhiko's hand released his shoulder, a smirk tugging on the corners of his face. "I have a gut feelin' you'll be the one to drop first, wanna see how long it takes before you crack in this game. But, last as long as you can; I decided to revamp the Punishment."

"…w-what'll it be?"

"Nothing too serious; just involves some chemicals and other shit a friend helped me with…I can best bet the humiliation'll haunt the loser well until college." With that, he was gone, leaving Hajime in the room, alone…afraid.

He had no idea how screwed he was now…this game would continue and wage on until _someone_ failed.

With how Fuyuhiko described it, the loser would never live it down…

…never…

* * *

(So, I'm considering an interesting topic. With how people enjoy this I think I can make this work. Originally all dares and truths are selected via wheels I spin, I think I could try something extra and have you, the fans, suggest what truths come out, and what dares. This way everyone can get a bit more screen time and it'll guarantee the story stays relevant and fresh as it'll allow readers to give input on who does what and I'll work on writing it. Just try to keep this Teen; not sure if we can include Mature dares like how some want. So, one I post this, you can start sending reviews with truths or dares desired and while I write up chapter 4 I'll see if I can implement them into the story.)


	4. Round 4

Once classes ended, Hajime knew exactly where he was needed…where he'd be condemned to more insanity. Pushing the doors open to Class 77-B's room, Hajime stepped inside and noticed a…lower total count.

The only ones present were Chiaki, Souda, Mahiru, and lastly Nagito.

"The game's not starting today?" Hajime asked, moving to take a seat by the fast-asleep gamer girl, Mahiru being the one to answer his question.

"No, it's still going; that baby-faced gangster just wanted to get more dares done from everyone…least mine's manageable." She was silent for a short while; Souda was too busy tinkering with something and Nagito was far too busy writing his own list of dares no one wanted to end up getting. "…Hajime Hinata, was it?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"You're in the Reserve Course…when you get a chance can you check on my friend Sato? I'm worried about her and the last time we spoke, she seemed…off." Hajime knew that girl only though brief talks; she seemed well enough until pushed into a corner. But, it seemed that Mahiru still cared for her. His head nodded, and Hajime gave her an honest smile.

"I'll do the best I can; shouldn't be hard."

"Thanks; least you're not like the rest of the men here…you're actually dependable." Souda's bark of protest was voiced later and soon the rest of the class filed in, Fuyuhiko tossing the wheel up onto the desk and setting the hat next to it.

"Alright, let's see who fucks it up today; Nekomaru you got your Out Card already right?"

"Sure do! If shit gets too weird I'll pop it and go." He crossed his arms and rested at his desk, Fuyuhiko nodding and spinning the wheel.

It came to a stop on Mikan. The nurse squeaked in fright before moving up, fingers timidly rummaging through the hat until a paper unfolded in her hand, the sigh that left her moments later the indication that she got a truth.

"G-Greatest fear…? I'm…I'm really scared of being hated. It's happened for so long and so many times…I-I can't stand the thought of being despised. That's why I let people do what they want to me…I don't want to be hated anymore."

"I doubt you'll be hated here," Hajime spoke up, feeling eyes fall upon him moments later. "I mean…I can't speak for Hiyoko but I think everyone here respects you enough not to hate you."

"Yeah, what he said!" Souda chipped in, followed by Teruteru and even Nagito…though his was something about hope. Mikan's lips curled into a heart-warming smile, and for a second the self-doubt and self-loathing she had vanished as far as Hajime saw.

She truly felt for a moment that she was surrounded by friends.

"Yeah yeah, go back to your seat pig bitch; let's see some dares!" Hiyoko cried out, and when the wheel stopped she resented her statement.

It was on her.

"Look at the bright side," Fuyuhiko chided, seating himself at the teacher's desk. "You got a chance to get an Out Card…or to get Punished." She reached her hand into the hat and upon getting her paper she paled.

"D-Do I have to…?"

"I'll get the Punishment."

"No! Just…I'll do it…" She sighed, moving to respond in the weirdest way possible.

She grabbed Souda by the back of his jumpsuit and dragged him out the door…for someone so small she packed a surprising amount of strength. Hajime was first to reach over and investigate the paper she dropped during the brief scuffle of Souda being…less than compliant and her forcing him out the door.

 **Dare:**

 **Exchange a piece of garment with a male student.**

"Oh god…" Hajime muttered, the door reopening seconds later…it wasn't as bad as he thought.

The Dancer was really just wearing Souda's iconic beanie; the piece of clothing nearly covering her eyes. Souda, on the other hand, made sure his hair was fixed as atop his head the hairs were actually a bit…messy; possibly due to him dying his hair improperly. None the less, Hiyoko returned to her desk, being handed a Golden card moments later.

"…I'm gonna get my beanie back right?"

"Sit the fuck down before I punch you in the ribs." Hiyoko hissed, a death glare rising on her face. Wordlessly, Souda complied, reaching into his desk and slipping his trucker hat on, turning it around ever so slowly.

"Least I keep this on standby…" He muttered, the wheel spinning once more, landing on Gundham.

"Bring me the darkest challenge and I shall crush it beneath my heel!" He didn't even grab from the hat; one of his hamsters dove from his hand and grabbed one; two working together to open it and present it to their owner.

"Preferred food…? The dark lord of ice prefers the emerald plants of the earth; I cannot feed on the creatures the dark devas and I work hard to bring to this world and let feast on it."

"…so…you're a vegetarian." Fuyuhiko concluded. Gundham's nod confirmed something Hajime never really expected…Gundham was a vegetarian. In retrospect, it did clarify why he never seemed to eat the meat Teruteru cooked; the ultimate breeder couldn't really eat creatures he worked so hard to bring back from extinction. He returned to his seat fairly quickly, Hajime literally feeling the seething coming from Souda as he watched Sonia speak to Gundham regarding his choice in diet…judging from the excited words it didn't sound like she was upset over the notion. None the less, the wheel was spun…and it came to the one person no one expected.

"It got me?" Fuyuhiko asked, soon reaching out to grab from the hat for a paper…and doing so made him cringe.

Hajime figured it was a dare, it was the only thing that made sense. He couldn't run from karma forever and now it seemed to have struck him with maddened gusto.

"Hajime…grab Teruteru and meet me in the cafeteria."

* * *

Hajime was…concerned when he watched Fuyuhiko seat himself at the table, a sullen look on his face. Teruteru worked in the kitchen, whipping something up while much of the class sat gathered around the table, waiting in anticipation for the chef to return.

"Fuyuhiko…what's the dare here?"

The yakuza wordlessly handed him the paper.

 **Dare:**

 **Consume a meal from Teruteru containing the Ghost Pepper and other spicy foods and last one minute before drinking the milk provided.**

It didn't seem like a Nagito dare…probably Hiyoko or Mahiru all things considered due to the simple handwriting. Before Hajime could further his 'detective' work on the subject, the doors were pushed open and Teruteru set down a bowl of steaming, red chili onto the table, a grim look on the usually perverted cook's face.

"Now Fuyuhiko, ya sure ya wanna be doin' this?" He asked, genuine concern coming from his voice; something Hajime rarely heard. "Cause…this is the Ultimate Chili; made with ghost peppers, the Califonia reaper, and a few others along with some normal peppers to balance it all out…it's…it's…" He gulped, wiping some sweat from his brow.

"It's quite literally the spiciest meal I've ever made before in my life."

"Did you at least fucking taste test it?" The yakuza spat, though Teruteru merely glanced to the side, running a comb through his hair.

"Welll…I gave some to a Reserve Course student who happened to be here. He seemed real eager ta help me out on this one."

"Where is he now?" The sound of an ambulance outside made Fuyuhiko shudder.

"…give or take on his way to the emergency room…he wasn't able to get to the milk in time."

"Okay this is insane; Fuyuhiko, you could possibly die if you eat that!" Mahiru finally cut in, anger lacing across her face. "Just back out and say you can't do it; none of us'll think any less of you." Hajime could literally see Hiyoko about to raise her hand and protest, but a sharp look from the Photographer made her shirk back in silence.

"No, I gotta do this…a Yakuza never goes back on their word and those of the Kuzuryu clan damn sure never back down from a challenge…how long do I gotta last?"

"One minute," Souda piped in, setting a gallon of milk next to the bowl of chili, fresh from the fridge. "Just one minute and then you can down this milk…"

"Gotcha, start the watch." And before anyone else could protest, he grabbed the spoon, plopped it into the red mix of meat and peppers, and put it into his mouth, swallowing it down.

The blush that exploded across his face told everyone the hotness set in before he could even get it down. Sweat trickled down his face, eyes twitching in silent agony, and his body shook and convulsed. It was literal torture for him, and everyone was watching him slowly and silently lose his mind to the intense burning. But despite all of this, the clock continued to tick down.

"Thirty more seconds…" Souda assured the smaller teen, having to grab the milk and scoot it back a few inches when he saw Fuyuhiko instinctively reach out for it…as a means to ensure he didn't accidentally drop out. The timer soon buzzed and Fuyuhiko _attacked_ the milk; downing it like a man without water for days.

"Teruteru, get something cool prepared immediately." Peko spoke, handing Fuyuhiko another bottle of milk and ignoring his fervent gasping from the agony he put himself through. "I doubt milk will work."

"Yeah…especially when the afterburns kick in from the five hot sauces."

"What after burrrnnnnnnnnnssssssAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Fuyuhiko hit the floor, mouth aburn as he tore at his suit, trying to free his neck and chest to cool something off; a vain attempt as the cook bolted off to get the stuff needed to sooth the yakuza's agony.

Hajime, meanwhile, just wondered how Fuyuhiko survived when the other guy nearly died…he guessed the guy was stronger than intended.

* * *

"While Fuyuhiko recovers, I'll be handling the wheel spinning, among other things." Peko spoke with her same, calm tone; said yakuza seated at his desk, panting and wheezing while Mikan applied yet another cool, damp towel to his head, making sure he was eating the ice cream Teruteru whipped up as a means to fight the pepper's effect. An Out Card rested next to him, proof that he was safe from another dare if it came…or if a truth came with him being unable to answer due to his recovery. Peko lightly tapped the wheel, making it spin at a speedy pace before it finally came to a stop.

Nagito.

"Oh, how fun!" He spoke, standing and approaching the hat to grab from it, being rewarded with what Hajime could assume was a truth.

"Favorite food…the writer of this seems very timid and mild…Mikan?" The nurse moved back, afraid of being brought to light, though Peko clearing her throat was a good means to tell him to answer the question.

"Bagels…for some reason I've learned to enjoy them with my breakfast; especially with honey butter on them." Well that seemed off, but at the very least it did make him stop rambling before Peko hit him. The wheel spun again, this time coming to a stop on Sonia.

"My word, it's finally my turn." She was up in moments, Souda did grow worried from his seat but none the less she was up and selecting a paper seconds later.

The look on her face told everyone it was a dare…and the strange calmness she had meant it was probably a Nagito one.

Well shit.

* * *

"How do I always end up in these situations?" Hajime asked, following behind Souda and Gundham; Sonia leading the way down the hall towards the security guard's location. "Like…does everyone just assume I can help them during these things?"

"Don't question it man…I…just need you here in case that whack job tries to make a move on Miss Sonia." Souda grit his teeth at the sight of Sonia speaking to Gundham, even laughing with his strange words. "What the hell does she even see in that guy?"

"I'm not sure but she seems happy…if you really care I'd advise just…letting it be."

"Like hell I will! I gotta prove to Sonia I'm the right guy, and helping her with her dare seems like the best way…speaking of which…" Souda trailed off, the four-man team coming to a stop. "Where _are_ we?" Hajime rapidly figured they were in front of the security guard's office…and behind those doors, odds are, Juzo was there.

The security guard who would quite literally beat some sense into students who disobeyed…Hajime often saw numerous Reserve Course students end up on the receiving end of his punches for disorderly conduct or overall just giving the former Ultimate Boxer an excuse to punch them. When Hajime asked to see just what Sonia's dare was his answer was given as to why they were there.

 **Dare:**

 **Steal Juzo Sakakura's Title Belt.**

Whoever the fuck wrote this dare, they were sentencing them all to death! That thing hung on the man's wall in the room, and whoever touched it would end up being more than beaten up.

They'd possibly be crushed beneath him and sent to the damn hospital…the last one to touch his belt was in a wheelchair.

"You want us to steal Mr. Sakakura's Title Belt?"

"Wait, _the_ Title Belt? The thing he won before graduating this damn school?! As in his most prized possession—" Hajime had to clamp Souda's mouth shut to prevent from him giving away their location. Sure, classes were over but that still meant they could get in trouble for being far too close to the security door. Sonia didn't even seem that intimidated over the subject…and Gundham…it was possible he just didn't care.

"Mister Souda, can you please open this door for us using your mechanical skill? It requires a card for the scanner and we don't—"

 _ **BANG!**_

Hajime face palmed a bit; Souda's idea of opening the door was quite literally just smashing the locking mechanism with his wrench, letting it clatter to the ground.

"D-Did I do good, Miss Sonia?" Souda chirped, though the princess didn't answer; far too busy actually getting the door open and walking inside, Gundham following as well. "…oh."

Hajime planned to actually talk to Souda about the whole Sonia thing…it was weird to see him so…submissive to a girl who didn't even know he was there. But, talking after the whole infiltration was a better idea. The room was empty; not a guard in sight, leading Hajime to believe that they had all retired for the time…or were just on break.

That clearly meant time was of the essence. If they waited too long they'd be caught, and considering Hajime was a Reserve Course student he had the likelihood of being expelled. But, thoughts to be pushed out; their main priority was finding the belt.

…Hajime remembered that he hung it on the wall. A glance up rewarded him with that notion; the belt hung from the wall, supported via a few clips. Sonia noticed it as well, silently asking Gundham if he could get the belt down.

"You want me to seize a mere garment crafted of metal and fabric? Of what use is it to the lord of ice?" Hajime had to think here…sooner they got this done the sooner they escaped before Juzo inevitably returned.

"…because it's a summoning belt and—"

"Stop, you had me at summoning." His hand extended and his hamsters launched from it; clinging to the belt and working to remove the clips holding it into place. Sonia watched with amazement the entire time while Souda grumbled in response, clearly irked she didn't call on his aid for the job.

Hajime didn't care; he'd rather not be present when Juzo returned.

The hamsters leapt back onto Gundham's hand and his other extended to catch the belt; wordlessly handing it to Sonia before making his way towards the door.

"Now we should hurry; the sooner we complete the summoning the sooner I can call upon another demonic lord to serve me." Sonia followed him, and Hajime had to quite literally drag Souda along, the mechanic actually attempting to find something to please Sonia.

Hajime swore for a fucking second he heard footsteps once they were around the corner…they _barely_ beat the clock.

* * *

"Well done, Sonia." Peko sealed the door after the four students returned from their excursion; Hajime taking his seat next to Chiaki and being aware of the gamer asleep at the moment. "You've done well in your dare, and for that you've been given an Out Card, along with Fuyuhiko." The princess merely smiled while the recovering Yakuza merely groaned in response…at least now the burning ended. The wheel spun once more, and when it came to a stop on Peko she merely tsked a tad.

"And I suppose it's landed on me; we'll make this the final one and then we need to all retreat…I doubt we want to be here when Juzo comes looking for his belt." Her hands unfolded the paper, and for a brief flash surprise masked her face but it dissipated just as fast as it was there."

"Most trusted friend…it's very clear Fuyuhiko's that friend but I can give considerable trust to many of you…what has been said in this room stays in this room."

Hajime didn't plan on taking it elsewhere…it was rare to see Peko abandon her stoic emotionless state and adopt a more human one.

* * *

"Hey Hajime, wait up!" The reserve course student glanced over to Souda when called; much of the class already gone for the day. "You're going with us on that trip tomorrow right?"

"Yeah, Fuyuhiko said he'd pull some strings for me to go to that resort…why?"

"I got the perfect idea to wow Miss Sonia! We need a Test of Courage!"

"Test of…courage?" Hajime crossed his arms; this'd be good to hear.

"Yeah! A guy and a girl go through the mysterious, dark forest together and reach the other side without freaking out! If Sonia and I do that we'll get together for sure!" He seemed excited over the prospect. "Can you help me put something like that together man? You can go with Chiaki and we can try n' sick Hiyoko on Gundham." In reality, Hajime knew that'd be a long shot…she might try and go with Mahiru due to their profound friendship. But, Hajime did want to do something like that with Chiaki…could let them grow closer.

"Alright, I'll talk to Fuyuhiko once we get there and I'll see if he'd be willing to help us put it together…same for Nagito."

"Eeeehhhh….do we _really_ need Nagito? He's kinda…"

"Insane, yes; he's also easy to persuade to help and something like this does require more than six hands, and we need to find a path through the woods to make sure it works before we do the test thing, making sure that whatever's in the woods isn't dangerous too much." Souda sighed in defeat; Hajime just being glad he got through to the mechanic and his blind delusions that Sonia was still into him. Even though the dares would rage out even in the middle of the trip, Hajime was confident that doing the Test of Courage with Chiaki and himself would no doubt make their bond grow.

Maybe the trip could go alright then…so long as someone kept Nagito chained up after he helped with the test's construction.


End file.
